CHP Party Assembly Member and Ankara MP Tekin Bingöl published a report regarding right violations faced by women at the occasion of 5 December International Women’s Rights Day. As such, he shared striking figures regarding issues faced by women employees, unemployment, unreported employment, work and family murders.

In the report where it is indicated that the participation of women to the workforce is almost half of the average of OECD countries, it is also noted that that half of working women are employed without being reported and are employed in flexible and unsecure environments. Furthermore, it is also highlighted that women are being victims or either family or work murders and that at least 4 women are being victims of violence daily and that according to official figures, at least 3 women out of 10 are being married under the age of 18.

Bingöl insisted that women are being kept in house as a result of wrong women policies of AKP: “Regardless of policies of the government which try to differentiate and to push forward unequal measures, today, women are fighting back for their rights. From Flomar to yesterday, as AKP’s legacy of exploitation continues, women’s resistance is continuing without faltering. One of the most important legacies of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s reforms is the right of vote and election for women and we are celebrating 5 December International Women’s Rights Day in light of all these issues. Unfortunately, this value given by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to our women at the foundation of the country has not been pursued and women have been devoid of man y of their basic rights in their daily lives”.

The report also noted other striking figures:

According to TurkStat figures, the number of women who are employed with salaries is at 34.9% of the total workforce, as for men, they are at 74.1%. Taking a closer look at OECD average, we can see that the participation of men to the workforce is at 69.2% whilst that of women is at 55.4%.

The participation of men in the workforce in our country is twice that of women and the participation of women to our workforce is very low compared to other examples across the world. Whilst the participation of women to the workforce in France is at 51.7%, Sweden at 69.6%, Germany at 55.6%, it is almost half of these countries in Turkey.

Furthermore, the report shows that the rate of women working in an unreported manner is much more common than men. Whilst the rate of unreported employment of men is at 18.9%, this rate is at 23.8% for women. 43% of women who are employed are working in an unreported manner. With respect to unemployment, when AKP came to power in 2002, women unemployment was at 9% and it is now at 15.1%, as for young women unemployment it is at 26.4% and non-farm women unemployment at 32.9%. In a broader definition, the number of women who are unemployed is at 2 million 896 thousand currently in Turkey. Young women unemployment in our country is almost 2 times the average of OECD and EU Member States.

According to the report, as a result of unsecured and unreported conditions, women are paying with their lives the flexibility in their working conditions and the anti-worker policies of the government. From 2013 to the first 6 months of 2018, 722 women have lost their lives at work.

Moreover, there are also cases where girls are being devoid of their right to education and are being forced to be married and become mothers. The report thus shows that the reality of child mothers has significantly increased as 3 women out of 10 are being married before they reach 18 years of age. Almost 17,000 girls have given birth in Turkey and more than 200 of these girls are below the age of 15. At least 4 women are being subject to violence each day. In 2017, 409 women were murdered by men, 387 children were victims of sexual violence and 20 children were killed.